Waste of time

i must have seen a different film!!

Best movie ever!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Dancing Lady had much going for it, with the talents of Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy and The Three Stooges. And while it is a flawed and uneven film, Dancing Lady also has a lot to recommend and does a good deal with the talent it has.The story in Dancing Lady is somewhat tired and contrived, with a romance triangle that resolves itself rather too conveniently and predictably and grinds the film to a halt. The songs are very hit-and-miss, with Everything I Have is Yours being the only great one, though Rhythm of the Day is quite pleasant as well. Could have easily done without the tasteless Let's Go Bavarian, or the repetitively clunky Heigh-Ho, the Gang's All Here however. Lastly, while most of the talented performers are used very well, to say that Joan Crawford's not that much of a dancer is putting it politely, her dancing (or hoofing, except with not much of the charm that even Ruby Keeler had) is rather awkward here. I've also seen better with the Three Stooges, Ted Healy's amusing and Larry does great at the piano but this is one of The Three Stooges' earlier appearances and that shows in the lack of development to their material, it's still amusing but not very inspired, tight or classy.Clark Gable, on the other hand, smoulders wonderfully, handsome, acid-tongued, intense, funny and charming he acts perfectly within his type of character but also just as well without the general light-hearted tone of the story. Crawford underwhelms as a dancer but certainly doesn't in the acting, she radiates in charm and really lives the drama without over-cooking it too much or taking it too seriously. Their chemistry is completely believable, it's easy to see that they were on-screen and off-screen lovers, and Crawford interacts well also with suave Franchot Tone. Fred Astaire, even when not having the very best of material, brings charming charisma and enviously graceful dancing(even managing to keep his dignity in Let's Go Bavarian) to his as-himself film debut performance, while Nelson Eddy sings absolutely beautifully, not surprising as his voice is one of the most beautiful male singing voices on film. Arthur Jarrett does a lovely job with Everything I Have is Yours, May Robson is funny, Sterling Holloway is memorable and although his type of humour is an acquired taste Robert Benchley is similarly amusing. Eve Arden appears very briefly, but is like a little ray of sunshine.Visually, Dancing Lady is a very nice-looking film with sumptuous art direction and crisp photography, capturing the musical world and backstage brilliantly, loved the dazzling visuals of the carousel as well. The film goes at a lively pace and the dialogue is entertaining and manages to keep a light touch while having some poignant substance. The choreography is very Busby-Berkeley-like, except not quite as dazzling or clever, the finale being a lot of fun if a touch over-produced.All in all, uneven but really good fun. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This pre-code production is well worth seeing. Regardless of how good or bad this film is, I believe it is a seminal film. As the studios were trying to determine what the American film-going public wanted, they "stumbled" across some formulae and some talent that paved the way for future success.Although I was never a great fan of Joan Crawford, in her early films--such as this one--she possesses a raw energy that is engaging. Here she plays the titular role, the Dancing Lady, and must have been considered a dancing talent to land the role. There have been discussions on the IMDb bulletin boards about the level of her dancing talent. Was her dancing "clunky"? Perhaps, but I believe the style of the day was somewhat ungraceful, in general. As I was watching her early dancing scenes, I was thinking that it would take Astaire to elevate the form on screen. Sure enough, he appears in the film--and he does add some class to the dance scenes.But it is Gable whose masculine energy really carries this film. He plays Patch Gallagher, the director of the Broadway show where Crawford's Janie Barlow gets her big break. She has dancing in her blood. Gallagher recognizes her talent and rewards her with a starring role. During the time they work together, she gets under his skin, making things awkward for Gallagher, who likes to keep things simple.The careers of Gable, Crawford, Astaire and even Nelson Eddy, among others (including the Three Stooges) may be said to originate in Dancing Lady. In just a few years, they all would be established box office stars. Gable would transform film's idea of the masculine lead. Astaire would elevate dancing in film with his graceful moves and refined choreography. And MGM would have a solid foundation for its burgeoning stable of talent.

The plot is nothing much in the originality stakes -- to be honest, the musical numbers (with the exception of the tuneful "Everything I Have is Yours", featured off-stage in a party sequence) aren't anything much either -- but it doesn't matter. With its sassy dames (I'd have liked to see more of Winnie Lightner as the cynical older roommate), Depression-era morals, sharp script and high-octane performances all round, this is unmistakably a 1930s product, fizzing with energy and entertainment.Joan Crawford is well cast as the ambitious dancer determined to thrust her way up out of a sleazy burlesque show; in fact, the few moments when her character is intended to melt into genuine feminine tenderness are the least convincing, in acting terms. Crawford was born to sparkle with sharp edges.Clark Gable as the street-smart producer trying to manage the whims of his wealthy patron is full of charisma in a tough-guy role, and teams well with his backstage foils Ted Healy and Robert Benchley; the Three Stooges put on a rather infantile finger-poking act in the background which apparently had audience appeal, but fortunately for my taste there wasn't much of it. Franchot Tone makes the role of the moneyed Society boy and would-be 'protector' of the heroine a surprisingly sympathetic one, glowing with genuine enthusiasm at her achievements even when this undermines his own aims, and shows off a well set-up figure in expensive tailoring and a swimming suit; not to be beaten, Clark Gable strips off to display his muscles in the gym, while Miss Crawford models a series of backless costumes that leave very little to the imagination -- and nor does that nightdress! Strong character performances, a coherent plot and a good script win out over standard backstage material and uninspiring musical arrangements in this MGM picture; I enjoyed it, and felt it had the edge over "Broadway Melody of 1938", screened the previous night.

I enjoyed "Dancing Lady" despite the fact that the titular "Lady" (Joan Crawford) is about as graceful as a pregnant camel. Other than her lead-footed dancing, Joan give a good performance. How many other movies can claim to feature The 3 Stooges, Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Joan Crawford, Fred Astaire and Nelson Eddy? Even Eve Arden shows up in a bit part (years before being reunited with Joan in "Mildred Pierce"!) Only MGM could have come up with a cast like this! Nevertheless, it's apparent that MGM was still learning how to put on a proper musical. Warner's musicals of the period are light years ahead of this. The songs are terrible and, other than Fred Astaire's numbers, the dancing is mediocre. Maybe I'm making it sound awful but it really isn't. It's a fun 90+ minutes to pass away a rainy afternoon.